Change in dementia care begins with caring for family

Family caregivers need to be actively engaged in national discussions to affect policy change for dementia.

More than that, it’s the ethical obligation of clinicians to reach out to the loved ones of residents with dementia.

Nancy A. Hodgson, PhD, RN, FAAN, associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing says clinicians need to ask family members to share their challenges and concerns—and then offer resources, in a recent article she co-authored in the AMA Journal of Ethics online.

“In dementia care, attention to family caregivers should be mandatory as their health and well-being are a critical part of the context of providing care to a patient with dementia,” Hodgson says in a press release. “We have a moral obligation to assure the health and well-being of family members who are intimately involved in caring for a patient with dementia.”

Nicole Stempak

Nicole was Senior Editor at I Advance Senior Care and Long Term Living Magazine 2015-2017. She has a Journalism degree from Kent State University and is finalizing a master’s degree in Information Architecture and Management. She has extensive studies in the digital user experience and in branding online media. She has worked as an editor and writer for various B2B publications, including Business Finance.